JoeSixPat

With today's victory the Pats literally have nothing else to play for in the regular season - with the exception of the elusive "Perfect Season".

All those of you convinced that Belichick values a Championship over the chance to make history will get a chance to find out next week when the pretense will be over. Since they have nothing to gain strategically for the playoffs over the next few games, they will be giving a lot of starting players a lot of rest, right?

All season the players and coaches have avoided any public comments on their part speculating about a perfect season. Well unless we see some very significant time from the backups next week, regardless of the score, I think we'll know just how serious this team is about going 19-0.

Not that I ever had a doubt - I think they knew they had a chance after seeing what Brady and Moss could do together even in the pre-season. And once Spygate happened and there was public questioning of the legitimacy of their 3 Super Bowl rings, I had no doubt the team had committed themselves to making a lasting mark in the history books.

So now, if you see starters getting significant time next week, I think we will all be able to agree that this team is putting needed rest for the playoffs secondary to the chance to make history.

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aluminum seats

Actually, there are other issues at play. BB has typically continued to play the games regardless--if they were to downshift now, they'd be looking at taking about a month off. Not really a recipie for success. Having said that, yeah, I'd say they want the record.

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Deus Irae

Not really. Many teams (Colts, Broncos, for example) have lost their edge by starting to shut down when the season was 'over' too soon. BB will want to avoid that. Otherwise, it will be about a month between meaningful games.

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JoeSixPat

No question BB has often said the one week bye is good enough rest. Still I think you'd see the last two games treated like the 2nd or 3rd pre-season game in this unprecedented season were they 13-1. You use the opportunity to fine tune the game - you don't leave your starters in for the full game.

You give as many guys time as possible.

That being said, I still hope they can blowout the Fins early and get the starters some rest - and if ever there were a team to do that to it'd be the Dolphins. But the pretense will be over next week - they want the perfect season, and their approach to the game will prove it. Who wouldn't want to make history?

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ctpatsfan77

I don't think it's quite that simple. Remember, the Pats have already clinched a first-round bye, so they're guaranteed at least 14 days rest after the Giants game.

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FSUPatsFan

For next week's game BB can say that he doesn't want to give the players too long of a layoff and wants to keep them sharp.

For the Giants game (assuming they haven't clinched a playoff spot), he can say that since there were playoff implications in the outcome of the game, he thought it would only be fair for the rest of the league to give their best effort.

festy1986

With a week off before the first playoff game, and hopefully a week off before the SB, rest is a non issue.

If you go into the playoffs, all out of synced, it's not going to benefit you.

Not to mention last year when they had nothing to play for they put the starters in, and that was minus the opertunity for a perfect season, the media went crazy about that decision because it cost the Pats Harrison for the playoffs.

MoLewisrocks

I think you have rest confused with rust. Mistake Dungy made a few years back when the Colts finally weren't undefeated any more.

Given Brady and his enire WR corps have been together less than a full season, they still are a work in progress - making adjustments to the variety of coverages teams are throwing at them in a futile attempt to derail them. They will play everyone who isn't hurt with the potential to get hurt worse. Unless it's a blowout, and even that's debatable since he has pounded the adage all season that we play 60 minutes of football. And his belief is that football players play football.

abejarano12

I think that BB will keep all the starters in. The passing game was not that great and the running game will need to pick up the slack.

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When you say "no one's perfect", Tom Brady takes this as a personal insult.

upstater1

Remember when Favre dove and gave Strahan that sack to break the record?

You can't tell me that NFL players don't care about records. Every Patriot is going to do their damnedest to get Brady 50 TDs, that offensive line is going to rise to the occasion. 4 TDs next week, and 2 against the Giants.